“See the backstreets of Mexico City”
6 Day Mexico City Day of the Dead Culinary Adventure
Mexico City, Mexico
Mexico Culinary Tour
On this culinary adventure in and around Mexico City during Day of the Dead, immerse yourself in the complex cultural identity of a metropolis where pre-Hispanic, colonial, and contemporary influences collide. You'll explore the mouthwatering local gastronomy, celebrating the harmony as well as the dissonance that defines this layered city, which thrums with the activity of a large population of regional migrants and modern transplants alike.
Highlights
- Enjoy agricultural visits and tour hidden historic sites
- Experience Lucha Libre and Day of the Dead celebrations
- Take guided tours through bustling city markets to taste what is in season
- Be with hungry group travelers excited to explore all that Mexico City has to offer
- All meals and drinks are included
- 5 nights accommodation
4 days with instruction
Group size: 6-12 participants
Accommodation
Check-in Time:
15:00
You will be staying in shared or private rooms throughout the trip in stylish, boutique hotels.
Program
You’ll experience moments when the city’s numerous identities are expressed and aligned perfectly, for instance, enjoying a street snack of tacos al pastor while taking in a hidden Diego Rivera mural. But you’ll also be looking for the fractures, zooming in on specific influences: a heady Aztec brew, or a colonial-era mole recipe, or the unique, pre-Hispanic floating farms still in use today.
You’ll also be sure to head out of the center city with a visit to the floating boats and green oasis of Xochimilco. From street food to contemporary Mexican dining trends, traditional restaurants to meals in local homes, your focus throughout will be food and the people who make it. On the ever-present periphery of your taste buds will be the history, art, architecture, landscape, agriculture, and street life that brings everything together.
Day 1: Welcome to Mexico City
Arrive in Mexico City and check into your group’s hotel. Take some time to settle in and wander the neighborhood before you meet this evening for your welcome dinner at Limosneros. Chefs Marcos Fulcheri and Carlo Méndez will work with pre-Hispanic ingredients, colonial techniques, and modern creative twists to create an unforgettable meal. In a private room, you’ll share your first of many meals and get a glimpse into what the week will hold.
Day 2: The many layers of Mexico City
After breakfast at your hotel, you’ll be spending the day in downtown Centro Histórico, exploring your trip’s themes through food, history, and culture. Today will be a crash course in the history of Mexico City, with visits to the “obscure side” of major monuments and historic remnants hidden from view, including Aztec temples, a mural by Diego Rivera, and former sacrificial sites.
For lunch, you’ll be dropping by a family-run Oaxacan grocery/restaurant in the heart of one of the city’s oldest commercial districts, once home to large communities of newly arrived Jewish and Lebanese merchants.
In the evening, set out on a taco tour, hitting a number of nighttime taco stands, including an al pastor spot housed in an auto repair shop. Along with classic tacos, you’ll also have the chance to taste ones made with brains, bull’s eyes, and intestines. Afterward, turn in for some well-earned rest, or explore some of the local nightlife on your own.
Day 3: Mole and Milpa Alta
Today, you’ll head to Milpa Alta, a center of mole production on the outskirts of Mexico City. You’ll be delving deep into all things mole, learning about ingredients, production techniques, regional varieties, and how this food represents the colonial heritage of Mexico.
On your way to Milpa Alta, stop by the home of a local villager to learn about the artisanal production of pulque, a pre-Hispanic drink made from the sap of the agave-like maguey plant. During the afternoon, visit private homes and markets to gain a better sense of daily life and the food that shapes and defines it, and finish your visit with a late lunch starring (what else?) mole. Back in the city this evening, take some time to rest and relax from the long day, and have dinner at your leisure (if you’re still hungry, that is).
Day 4: Xochimilco and Lucha Libre
You’ll set out on an action-packed exploration of Xochimilco, a highlight of the region and treasure of Aztec-era living culture. Unlike many pre-Hispanic-era monuments that are entombed in museums, Xochimilco is a living place with working farms and much to see, eat, and drink, all linked to pre-Hispanic Mexico.
For lunch, you’ll have a meal onboard a traditional flat-bottomed boat as you float along Aztec-era canals that have been in use for more than 2,000 years. Your meal will be prepared by locals using products from the chinampas, the area's famous “floating farms,” one of which you’ll have the chance to visit.
Back on land, check out a local market and get a taste of pre-Hispanic Mexico (think: tlacoyos) before heading to the enchanting Dolores Olmedo Museum. In the evening, attend a Lucha Libre wrestling match followed by a visit to Mexico City’s vibrant “mariachi square” for live music, dancing, and one more festive meal together!
Day 5: Day of the Dead cemetery visit and market
Today is Day of the Dead and you’ll start with a cemetery visit to witness how this fascinating day begins. From there, you’ll head to a bustling local market awash in produce, flowers, food, and crafts to learn about all of the special details that go into preparing for this big day. Getting a taste of what’s in season, sample food specialties from around the market.
Next, you’ll make a private visit to the nearby home and workshop of the famous Linares family. This family is considered to be the most important producer of Mexican folk art, specifically related to the Day of the Dead.
For dinner, enjoy a paired mezcal tasting led by a bottler who travels the Mexican countryside in search of small batch producers of the spirit. The mezcal will be paired with classic Mexican dishes with a creative spin. Raise Your glasses in a toast to the chef and to the opportunity to spend this important holiday together.
Day 6: Farewell and Departure
Today, depart for home or onto your next destination or, if you’d like, spend a few more days exploring Mexico City. The guide will be happy to provide additional recommendations. Until your next adventure!
Itineraries and daily schedules are subject to change. Culinary Backstreets expects to do everything listed in the itinerary, though the order may be rearranged based on weather or other local conditions.
Activity level
Travelers should be reasonably fit and feel comfortable walking three to five miles each day and remain on their feet for long periods of time. Keep in mind that Mexico City is a bustling and crowded place!
Included excursions
Agricultural visits
You'll be tracing your way back to the source of the foods you’re eating, investigating the farming and production systems that feed into Mexico City.
Hidden historic sites
Mexico City has plenty of the obscure and the occult and you’ll be sure to explore this side of things.
Market tours
Take guided tours through bustling city markets to taste what is in season.
Lucha Libre
Attend a Lucha Libre wrestling match, followed by a visit to Mexico City’s vibrant “mariachi square”.
Day of the Dead celebrations
Experience Day of the Dead celebrations like a local resident.
Location
Mexico City has a complex and fascinating cultural identity, a place where pre-Hispanic, Colonial, and contemporary influences collide in a riot of street food, bustling markets, cathedrals built atop Aztec ruins against the backdrop of a megacity thriving with regional migrants as well as a stylish modern set. There are tens of millions of souls who make Mexico City what it is; this trip is a celebration of harmony as well as dissonance.
Food
Culinary Backstreets encourages an adventurous palate! They try their best to accommodate dietary restrictions, though in most cases, ingredients can’t be substituted or omitted from particular dishes. If you have a particular food allergy or intolerance, please send an inquiry to find out if this is the right trip for you.
The following meals are included:
- Breakfast
- Lunch
- Dinner
- Snacks
- Drinks
The following drinks are included:
- Water
- Coffee
- Soda
- Alcoholic beverages
The following dietary requirement(s) are served and/or catered for:
- Regular (typically includes meat and fish)
- Other dietary requirements on request
If you have special dietary requirements it's a good idea to communicate it to the organiser when making a reservation
What's included
- All meals and drinks in CB activities, a belt-popping experience
- Admission to all proposed activities, locations, and events
- Professional guides throughout the entire experience
- 5 nights accommodation in stylish, boutique hotels
- Private coach for visits inside and outside the center city
What's not included
- Airfare
- Transportation and to and from Mexico City, including airport transfers
- Additional meals and drinks outside of Culinary Backstreets offerings, including one lunch, one dinner, and some alcoholic beverages
- If applicable, applying for a Mexican visa (not required for U.S. citizens)
- Travel insurance (recommended)
How to get there
Recommended Airports
MEX
Mexico City International Airport
6 km
Transfer not provided
Arrival by airplane
Please book your flight to arrive at Mexico City International Airport (MEX).
For flights in and out of Mexico City International Airport (Aeropuerto Internacional Benito Juárez), we suggest you arrive by 3 p.m. on Day 1 and depart anytime on Day 6. We are happy to book you extra nights at the group’s hotel and provide suggestions for things to do and see in the city on your own.
Cancellation Policy
- A reservation requires a deposit of 20% of the total price.
- The deposit is non-refundable, if the booking is cancelled.
- The rest of the payment should be paid on arrival.
For this organizer you can guarantee your booking through Tripaneer.com. All major credit cards supported.
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